The Miami Heat immediately got better by adding Jimmy Butler and so has every other team he’s played for.
Moreover, he has had one poor playoff series as a starter. From 2013 to 2020, in what series did he shy from the moment?
And when did his performance decline in that span? From 2015 to 2020, he was the centerpiece of not one, not two, but three franchises in the post-season.
He closed out, not just games, but playoff games for teams with players like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Joakim Noah and Karl-Anthony Towns. That’s lots of lottery pick talent there.
In series after series, Butler has sent teams home and is why his teams made the playoffs. While he is an elite two-way guard, his offense is what saved all his playoff teams.
Think about the rosters he has led.
The Chicago Bulls: Replaced the scoring of Derrick Rose on a roster of defenders.
The Minnesota Timberwolves: A soft squad that mentality wilted in the spotlight, which he had to save on an injured knee just to make the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers: A team with a center that is gassed by the fourth and a guard who shoots with the wrong hand.
And the Game Five performance in the NBA Finals during the NBA Bubble speaks for itself and his Miami Heat tenure.
Yes, he looked awful against the Milwaukee Bucks this year. But don’t throw out years of data for the hot take.
Right now, Butler is a top 30 scorer. What are we even discussing still?
Why?